Euler

Equation --the Gem of

Mathematics (for high school
students)

Srinivasan Nenmeli Ph D

Richard Feynman , a Nobel Laureate in Physics and
Professor at CalTech ,called this equation --" the gem
of mathematics".
It is an equation that relates 'e', the base of natural
logarithm, 'i' the imaginary quantity, 'pi" you know
that, and '1' the unity and has an 'equal' sign. Recall
that i2 is -1.

From complex numbers to this equation

Let us begin with a complex number: z = a + i b

You can find the 'magnitude' of this number:

|z| = sqrt [ a.a + b.b]
Let us call this |z| = r, the magnitude of a
radius vector.
Then the angle this vector makes with x axis is
. [theta]
It is easy to find this angle, because
tan = b/a.
is expressed in radians and not in degrees!!

Let us write this complex number 'z' in an
exponential form:
Recall that z = [r cos ()] + i[ r sin ()]

------------------(1)
You can recall "polar coordinates" to understand
this equation. [Z is now a vector in the complex
plane with axes x and iy.]

Equation (1) is written in the short form:

z = r [cis ()]
We make a slight 'modification' and write z in
the exponential form :
z = r ei ========(2)
This is the basic form of EULER EQUATION.

[ We can prove this relation later using

infinite series.]
Consider the special case when r =1 or unit circle in
the complex plane with origin as the center.
Then z = ei
Now take the special case of =
Then z= cos + i sin --------------(3)
z = -1 since cos = -1 and sin = 0.
Now we have the grand equation:

e i = -1
or e (i) +1 = 0 ----------(4)

This is the Euler equation or formula.

Simple applications
Let us see how many relationships and
manipulations become easy using Euler
formula.
Multiplication of two complex numbers:
Let z = a + i b and z' = c + i d
Converting to exponential form:
z = r1 exp(1) and z' = r2 exp(2)
Now z.z' = (r1.r2) exp ( 1 + 2) -----------(5)
It is that simple!!!
Example:
z = 4 + 3i , z' = 12 + 5 i
Find z.z'
z = 5 exp ( i ) where tan () = 3/4 = 0.75
= 0.643 rad.
z' = 13 exp (i') where tan ' = 5/12 = 0.4166
' = 0.395 rad.

Therefore, z.z' = (5)(13)exp i( 0.643 + 0.395)

= 65 exp( i 1.038)
Check: You can check the result by normal
multiplication:
z.z' = (4+3i)(12+5i) = 33 + i 56 = 65 exp(i1.038)

You can multiply any number of complex numbers easily
with the Euler formula.
If z1 = r1.exp(i 1) , z2= r2.exp(i 2) and z3=
r3.exp(i 3), then
z1.z2.z3 = r1.r2.r3 .exp(i [1+2+3])

Division of two complex numbers

This becomes easy using the Euler formula:
If z = a + ib = r exp(i )
and if z' = c+id = r'exp(i')
then , z/z' = (r/r')exp [i (-')]

Example:
z= 4+3i = 5 exp(i 0.643)
and z' = 12 + 5i = 13 exp(i 0.395)
Find z/z'
z/z' = (5/13)exp(i 0.248)= 0.3846 exp(i 0.248)
[Check : You can check the result by normal
method of dividing two complex numbers:
z/z' = (4+3i)(12-5i)/ [(12+5i)(12-5i) ]
= 63/169 + i 16/169 = 0.3728+ i 0.0947
= 0.3845 exp( i0.2472) ]

Powers of complex numbers

Using Euler realtion, it becomes easy to find powers
of any complex number:
zn = rn e in
Take the simple case when n = 2
z2 = r2 exp ( 2) -------------------(7)
Example:
If z = 3 + 4i , find z2.

z = 3 + 4 i = 5 exp( i 0.643)
z.z = 25 exp( 1.286)
[No need to use de Moivre's theorem , using cis()
formulas.]
Example 2 Show that
[cos + i sin ]2 = cos (2) + i sin (2)
This is an exercise for you.

Finding the roots of a complex number

If z = r exp(i) , then
z1/n = r1/n exp( i (/n))
You can use de Moivre's theorem ; but using Euler
formula is much easier and elegant to write!!

Example 3
If z = 4+3i, find sqrt(z)
z = 5 exp(i 0.643)
sqrt(z) = sqrt(5).exp(i 0.3215)= 2.236 exp(i 0.3215)
Note: In text books of Precalculus , you would find de

Moivre's thereom and its applications. Try those

problems using Euler formula.]

Derivation of Euler equation using infinite

series
We expand the exponential function into
infinite series:
eix =1 + ix + i2 x.x/2! + i3 x.x.x/3! +
-----
Note that i.i = -1, i3 = -i and so on.
We can separate the terms without 'i' and
with 'i'and show that
exp(ix) = cos x + i sin x.
We owe to Leonhard Euler for the infinite
series expansion for trig functions sin x
and cos x.

[A proof by induction for the Euler formula

is given in the Wickipedia article on Euler
equation.]

Some Anecdotes
Leonhard Euler [1707-1783] was a prolific
mathematician, with results in algebra, analysis
[calculus],geometry,number theory topology, variational
calculus, graph theory and other fields.He lost his
eyesight some 17 years before his death...but he was
active in math during those years too. His collected
works would run into 75 volumes, with each volume of
500 pages!
Euler , born in Basel, Swiss, spent many years of his
career as a professor in the Russian Academy in St.
Petersburgh.
The great Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan

(1887-1920) discovered the Euler relation on his own

while in high school. He was crest-fallen when he found
out that it was already known in mathematics.
Frustrated, he hid all his math calcualtions in the
attic in his home in Kumbakonam, near Chennai in India.
Later he moved to Cambridge Univ and was supported by G
H Hardy. There are many instances of his discovering
for himself relations already known to other
mathematicians, because he did not have access to many
books in mathematics or a well stocked library.
Richard Feynman learnt this formula at the age of 14
and wrote in his diary: "the most remarkable formula in
Math".
William Dunham laments :" Leonhard Euler was a
mathematician of the very first rank, yet he is almost
unknown among the general public."

Suggested reading:
Robert P Crease : The great equations--w.w.Norton , NY

William Dunham : The Mathematical Universe --John

Wiley
William Dunham : Journey through genius --- John Wiley
The genius of Euler --ed: W Dunham --The math
association of America. [2007]
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